Outrage
8 out of 10
Magnolia Pictures
Takeshi Kitano returns to the screen at the AFI Film Festival with this dark and violent look into the Yakuza world where family honor is everything, ultimate sacrifice is demanded, but true loyalty is rare. The film is a window seat to a terse and bloody power play. Gang life is shown in a light that shows it as petty, cruel, opportunistic, and anything but slick, noble, and glamorous.
Sometimes quiet, sometimes absurd, even heartbreaking , at the core this is an exploration of the perversion of respect. Moments of calm and austerely strict order and self-control are punctuated by scenes of incredible savage violence and chaotic betrayal. The violence at times is so over the top the film would be almost darkly funny if it wasn’t so disturbing. It can be hard watch. A scene with a dentist drill in particular is absolutely brutal. Not his best film, but worth seeing.
-By Saeko Igarashi and Laura Gaddy